The present invention relates generally to pet care products and accessories. More specifically, the present invention relates to pet care products and accessories used to walk pets.
The act of walking a pet is a pleasure enjoyed by many. In city settings, it is often a necessity for dog owners to walk their dogs. Leash laws are common in many urban and rural cities, alike. Often, the simple task of walking one""s pet can turn into a frustrating endeavor when one cannot find the pet""s leash. The task is made much easier and less frustrating when the leash is easily found. The majority of pet walking apparatus in existence today require a collar and separate leash and the leash cannot stay attached to the pet when not in use, because it would hinder the mobility of the animal as well as allow the user""s handle to become soiled.
A leash/collar combination has been disclosed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,198 issued to Peterson and entitled Counterweighted Pet Leash Retracting Collar discloses a pet collar with a reflective strip, a leash, a counterweight and a leash retractor. The counterweight is needed in the ""198 Patent to counterbalance the weight of the leash retractor and to ensure that the leash handle always comes to rest on the back of the animal""s neck where it is easy for the user to access the leash handle. The extra weight can be cumbersome to the animal wearer.
Accordingly, a need exists for a simple, integrated lightweight collar and leash combination. The present invention fulfills this need.
The present invention is a collar with an integrated retractable leash. The pet collar with retractable leash is arranged so that no counterweights are necessary. The leash feeds through a portion of the collar into a casing that stores the majority of the leash when not in use. The casing holds a coiled spring that is coupled to one end of the leash and provides the leash with its retractability. The opposite end of the leash forms a handle and is removably attached to the outside of the collar for easy accessibility. The collar portion of the pet collar with retractable leash is adjustable and the leash portion can be any number of lengths preferred by the user. The collar with integrated retractable leash also has a ring that allows it to be used with a conventional leash.
It is the primary object of this invention to provide a pet walking apparatus wherein the pet collar and leash are integrated for easy accessibility of the leash to the user.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a pet collar with a retractable leash.
It is a fturther object of this invention to provide a pet collar with a retractable leash that is compact, durable and lightweight so as not to discomfort the animal wearer.